Come December, each baby born at Tucson Medical Center will go home in a special holiday stocking thanks to the Tucson Chapter of the American Sewing Guild.

It’s been a longstanding project for the guild, which consists of more than 250 members who gather regularly to sew projects primarily to benefit local organizations.

Under former member Carol Backus’ direction, the group made Christmas stockings for TMC for years to put newborns in when the babies’ parents took them home.

But when Backus died a few years ago, the project was dropped.

This year, however, the hospital called Millie Burgheimer, the current president of the Tucson chapter, and asked if the guild could once again help make the holiday stockings.

The project was supported by Bridget Stith, who offered to supply the fabric and thread, according to TMC.

Stith had been given a stocking when her baby was born at TMC on Christmas Eve, 48 years ago.

The guild members were aiming to make 150 stockings in the hopes that all babies born in December could be sent home in a Christmas stocking.

Burgheimer doesn’t claim to be much of a seamstress β€” she was an art teacher β€” but she came up with a design that met TMC’s needs.

Armed with piles of red and white fleece, cones and spools of red thread and volunteers from the guild, the members met at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church on the morning of Sept. 26.

Dozens of members from some of the chapter’s seven neighborhood groups arrived with their sewing machines, and the sewing marathon lasted longer than three hours.

Realizing that not all babies are born to families who celebrate Christmas, Burgheimer had made several blue and white stockings before the event.

By the marathon’s end, the guild ended up with more stockings than they planned β€” 186 stockings ready for December babies born at TMC.

Become a #ThisIsTucson member! Your contribution helps our team bring you stories that keep you connected to the community. Become a member today.

Contact Johanna Eubank at jeubank@tucson.com